Cinderella's One-Night Baby

by Michelle Smart

One night…one life-changing surprise!

When strait-laced Gabrielle Breton is invited to accompany tycoon Andrés Morato to a glamorous royal event, she must say yes! Even if Gabrielle knows this one encounter is all the guarded Spaniard will allow himself… Yet when the chemistry simmering between them erupts into mind-blowing passion, its nine-month consequence will tie her and Andrés together for ever…

Genres: Romance, Harlequin Presents, Harlequin

195 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2024

About the author

Michelle Smart is a Publishers Weekly bestselling romance author with a slight-to-severe coffee addiction. With over four million copies of her books sold worldwide, Michelle is now embracing the indie book world to write the passionate romance books she knows her readers love whilst continuing to write for Harlequin Mills & Boon. She is also the author of Butterflies, a standalone romantic and humorous time travel novel set in the 1990s.

A bookworm since birth, Michelle can usually be found hiding behind a paperback, or if it’s an author she really loves, a hardback.

Michelle loves hearing from readers and can be contacted directly via her website.

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Deeply one-note, unfortunately. Insta-love, with very little basis. The writing is fine, but the characters are all very stock and the story goes about how you'd think. Of course even though the protagonist is a single mother she is a virgin! oooooh how could it be????

I get very sick of that as a trope, which is surprisingly common in HP? Like, the woman's value is doubled because not only is she a tough, strong single mom but she's also a virgin, so she's not a slut like she would be if she'd had a child while unmarried? Gabrielle is also very much a put-upon heroine, the oldest trick in the book. A character doesn't have to have a personality if you just make them likable because they have a difficult life!

Honestly just bad, I have liked some of this author's work before but this really turned me off.

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick Summary: A baby on board + 1 romance

My Review: Cinderella's One-Night Baby by Michelle Smart is a Harlequin Presents novel.

About the Book: After an explosive war of wills happens between a border security agent and a rude, condescending tycoon, no one would have ever suspected that they would detonate in the way that they did. Cinderella her Prince Charming never looked so good.

My Final Say: This was a sensational story. It started with a bang and ended with "the warmth of a love so deep." Although it was an insta-lust/insta-love relationship with a few hiccups for good measure, Andrés and Gabrielle had marvelous passion and connection. All of the storyline conflict points kept the book fresh and interesting. I absolutely loved this one!

Other: True blue HP readers will adore this romance.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: Yes
Status/Level: 💣

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Harlequin-Romance, Harlequin Presents), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my thoughts and opinions on this wonderful story.

[Dani White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first time reading this author, and I will very much be seeking out more of her books.

Cinderella's One Night baby was a sizzling romance that was sweetly tender at times/ It has all the tropes that I tend to enjoy, and a relationship development that I felt was both natural and earned. I really liked the protagonists. The writing is exceptionally good. I enjoyed the way the story concluded.

My minor critique had mostly to do with the pacing. The dinner scene at the castle was very drawn out for way too many chapters. It's a section that could have used some serious editing. As a result, the latter half felt a bit rushed. I would have loved to see their trip to Japan expanded to have some cute relationship bonding moments, because those moments in the book were so good, but so rushed and short.

But otherwise, a great romance novel.

I received a copy from NetGalley and Harlequin Romance in exchange for an honest review.

[Redkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book title says what the story is about: Cinderella's One-Night Baby harlequin style. Rich boy going to ball meets poor girl working near ball. His sister cancels and she fills in. Basic premise is the trusting to love again while both have issues to overcome. The supporting characters were enjoyable. The story was good but typical of Harlequin - but I like that. It just what I am looking for traveling on bus or train as a quick read. I would recommend this author. I enjoy her books.

**I received this book from NetGalley and publisher for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cinderella's One-Night Baby by Michelle Smart, is an instant-love relationship between a rich guy and a poor working single mom. Andrés is on his way to a ball when he is stopped by guard Gabrielle. His sister cancels being his plus one and encourages Gabrielle to take her place. Fireworks fly between Andrés and Gabrielle as they share a connection and passionate one night together; except consequences do occur. Both need to learn to trust to love again before overcoming the baggage in their lives. I enjoyed the story and the supporting characters were a good addition.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[May Grider · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just a note about editing. Ms. Smart used “hedonism” or “hedonistic” eight (8) times in this very short book. Not a common word, outside of HP land. She also used “luxury” or “luxurious” nine (9) times. Being hit on the head by these repeats absolutely took me out of the story.

I feel that she must have received a call from the publisher: “Michelle, we love your stories, but could you please make them more luxurious and hedonistic?”

[Carmelita Clardy]

A good book

This was a very good book. The h met the H when she stopped his car at the border to search it for drugs. His sister suggested he take the h to the Queen’s birthday party. The h was a border patrol agent., she had adopted her nephew and claimed him as her son. The couple had a lot of sexual chemistry which led to an unexpected pregnancy. Good epilogue.

[Susan Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. Michelle Smart has become one of my Harlequin go to authors. And she did not disappoint with this book. Can’t wait to read more of her books!

[Susan in Perthshire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have loved this author’s books but this one was so disappointing. It lacked energy, excitement and most of all, it lacked romance. Some of the sex scenes were as exciting as a set of IKEA instructions. Now MS usually writes excellent love scenes so where has the real MS gone?

The pacing was also bizarre. Half way through the book and it’s still the same evening!

The second half of the book is like a different book! Fast, pacy, exciting.

I found the characters fairly unexciting. The continual reminders of how much the heroine loved the Queen added nothing to the story and made Gabrielle sound like an adolescent. I could not figure out what that was all about.

This just didn’t read like one of MS’s books. Where was the passion, excitement and fascination of the author who wrote “What a Sicilian Husband wants?”

Sorry, but I was so disappointed. I disliked the premise about the sister as I simply couldn’t buy into it. The reveal of the ‘not actually her baby, plus the ‘horrible father’ was just ‘meh.. ‘

I won’t let this stop me reading more of MS’s work - but sadly this was a rare dud as far as I am concerned.

[Hsiau Wei · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book depicts an instantaneous romance between a wealthy man and a struggling single mother. Andrés, en route to a ball, encounters guard Gabrielle, who steps in as his date after his sister cancels. Despite their differing backgrounds, Andrés and Gabrielle share a passionate night, leading to unexpected consequences. Both must rebuild trust and confront their pasts to embrace love once more. The story, enriched by engaging supporting characters, delivers a sizzling yet tender romance, complete with beloved tropes and a naturally evolving relationship. The protagonists are particularly compelling, and the writing is notably impressive, culminating in a satisfying conclusion.